A craft area does not necessarily need to be large and should be dictated more by the activity itself. Here are some general pointers that are especially helpful when you are blind or have low vision:

• Create a work surface that offers you contrast. Consider painting half of the surface white and half black. Use matte finish paint, so you won't have glare. Alternatively, you might consider buying a sheet of poster board or form core board at your local crafts shop that contrasts with your counter or table. Keep this board for when you need a contrasting surface. The board should be cut to the size of your table or counter or be slightly smaller.
• Invest in a good task light that you can direct onto your work. Experiment with a flexible gooseneck, swing-arm or adjustable lamp. Some lamps also have built-in magnifiers.
• Enlarge craft instructions or patterns on a copier machine, have them recorded on cassette, or use a CCTV.
• Experiment with different types of needles and needle-threading devices and see our tips on threading needles.
• Organization of your craft materials is essential. You can use anything from plastic shoe boxes, containers with lids, zip-lock bags, to baby food jars.
• Tape measures and rulers can be purchased with either tactile or large print markings — there are also talking tape measures! The large print ruler [link opens in new window] shown here also has braille markings. It can be found at Maxi-Aids.
• Label the containers so that you can find the items you need as you want them. Labels can be large print, raised print, or glue a sample item to the outside of the container. Do whatever works for you!